Without me
by brat64
Summary: Harper says something, and Beka relizes that he may not be around forever.


A/N: Set just after Exit Strategies.

Disclaimer: I don't own Andromeda. I'm, not getting any money, really, ask all the people I owe...

**Edit:** Now spell checked, and fancied up a bit.

* * *

"Without Me"

Beka swiped her hand across her forehead, wiping the oil off her hands first-gracefully not getting it all over her head and in her hair. Fixing the slipstream drive was going to take her hours, while it would take Harper less then half that time. But she refused to call him. He was working on the Andromeda, and she knew that he needed a break, she didn't want him to become over tired-and become more vulnerable to the 13 magog that were dormant within his belly.

But as the wrench she was holding slipped, scraped her knuckles, and made her say words that would make Tyr cringe--she really wished he was there. She had been working for over an hour and had only a small portion of the work done. Truth be told she could really go for a cold drink of water.

"Hey Boss." Startled she let the wrench slip again, she didn't grab for it this time therefore she didn't scrape her knuckles. "Harper." She said standing up. "I thought you were working on Tyr's shower." Harper rolled his eyes. "He freaked on me." Beka smiled, she always found it odd how he hated both Nietzscheans and the Magog-but he wasn't afraid of Rev or- well he didn't hate Tyr. "Anyway, after Tyr thought it would be a good idea to throw me-and I mean in the literal sense here-out of his quarters I thought you might want some help."

Beka looked at him sideways waiting for the rest of the story. When it wasn't forth coming she said; "Why did he throw you out in the first place?" Harper shuffled by her and picked up her dropped wrench. "He didn't think I could handle it-so he stood watch over me, and when the water suddenly came on he thought it was done by me-on purpose."

"You don't look wet." She pointed out.

"That's because I'm not." He said evasively. She nodded, and then she shook her head, smiled a bit. "Harper, one of these days Tyr's just gonna rip in to you."

"We're off topic." He waved the wrench at her, "and your hand is bleeding." She looked down to see that the little scrape was now oozing blood. "Tell me what you were working on, and then you can go get Trance to check it out."

"I started fixing this, and I can finish it." She shot back stubbornly. The wound didn't hurt, so why get it checked out? Beka smiled suddenly-that sounded just like something Harper would say.

"Well then, at least let me help you out."

"Fine, fine." Beka smiled then. "I can always use a 'super genius.'" She mocked. Beka dodged the metal wrench that came flying at her head, and they went to work together.

Working together they had it done in less than half an hour, of course Harpers face had streaks of oil all on it, and as they stood up Beka tossed him a towel. He fumbled it a little but won the battle in the end. Beka's hand acutely did hurt a little. "I think I'll go get my hand checked out." Harper didn't even try to hide the 'told you so' look. "Thanks for the help Harper."

He nodded as he headed away from her. "What are you going to do without me?"

He was already around the corner when exactly what he had said hit her. He had said not what _would _you do without me, but what _are you going_ do with out me.

She slowly walked off the Maru pondering what he had said. "Why would he say something like that?" She asked herself as she walked towards med bay. "And why is it bothering me so much?" she shook her head as she walked a few more steps. Damn Harper. She smiled a little and rolled her eyes. You always know just what to say to get my nerves all bunched up.

She speed up a little as the smile faded, the comfort of thinking that Harper had said it to just annoy her, make her worry, evaporated.

No, no. More likely he hadn't even noticed he had said it. Harper had been down allot lately, with the magog. Beka stopped suddenly and looked around slowly. Where had she been going? Oh yeah, Mad bay. As she looked around she noticed that she had walked by it. Suddenly Andromeda's Hologram appeared in front of her.

"Are you alright, Beka?"

"Yeah." She took a breath. "Yeah I'm fine."

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"What? No, no." Andromeda smiled at her and as she was about to disappear Beka stopped her. "On second though can you tell me what Harpers doing?" She nodded and looked up to the ceiling, concentrating. "He is currently in his quarters, I believe that he trying to fix some ancient antique that I keep telling him is impossible to fix." The war ship seemed annoyed. Beka grinned at her, her own plight over Harper temporally forgotten.

"You know the only reason he's sill trying to fix it is because you told him he couldn't do it, right?" Andromeda nodded and smiled. "Is there some reason you wanted to know?" Beka's face fell a little, but she recovered quickly. "No, no reason. Hey, is Trance in medical bay?"

"Yes, I believe she is."

"Thanks." Beka said as she turned and walked back the way she had come.

Trance smiled as she took a sip of water and then twirled it around the glass with her finger. She just loved how smooth it felt against her skin. She sighed at how sometimes she could over look the simple joys of life.

"Trance?"

She turned, startled and dropped the glass, but before it could hit the floor she caught it in her tail. Allowing only a little of the water to splash out. "Oh, hi Beka." She calmly set the glass down on the counter and wiped up the water.

"Nice catch." Beka said as she went over to lean against a medical table.

"Thanks." Trance blushed and then she saw Beka's bleeding hand. "Beka! Your hand is bleeding!" She immediately went over and got out some bandages and medicine for it. Then she went to fix it up. "What did you do?"

"I dropped a wrench." She smiled and then took a breath. "Trance, can I ask you something?" Trance smiled again as she smoothed out the bandage. "Of course Beka." Beka only frowned, then; "You and Harper are close." She stated. When she offered no more Trance wrapped the bandage one more time, taped it in place and looked up at her.

"We're best friends." Beka gave a hint of a smile. "Well, have you-I mean, well, Harper helped me fix the slipstream drive on the Maru. And before he left, he asked 'What are you going to do with out me?'"

Trance looked at her with sympathetic eyes. If you didn't know her you wouldn't be able to see past her blank face, but Trance knew she was worried. "And now you're worried because even though you know that he's infested, you've never really thought you could lose him." Beka pushed her hair back. "Yeah, I mean he's gotten into scrapes before. He has an arrest record a kilometer long! But-it just seems like he's been with me forever." Trance nodded, ready to listen as long as Beka wanted to talk. "And to think that I might actually lose him. I don't know Trance. It's just weird, even more so with the breezy way he talks about it. I don't know what to do."

"Talk to him, let him know that you're there for him." Trance advised. "It's not that easy with him, he hates all the mushy stuff-I mean its not like I love it, it's just that he'll joke it off." Beka sighed. "Well, you have to do something to grab his attention." Trance said easily. Beka bit her lip.

Beka walked into command to see Dylan, Rommie, Rev, and Tyr all at their respective stations. She glanced around, and saw that Harper was standing by an open panel looking down at some sort of schematics. Dylan and Rev looked up as she walked in, and Tyr and Rommie looked up as she began to walk over to where Harper was standing. Harper was so involved with what he was doing that he didn't notice her coming up to him. He only looked up when she was right in front in of him.

She didn't give him time to say anything before she crushed him in a giant hug. He dropped what he was holding and let out a muffled 'Ugg'. The whole crew was now looking at them. She pulled back and grabbed both of his shoulders, suppressing a laugh at the stunned look on his face. "Do I have your attention?" He nodded. "Good." With that she pulled him out of command, ignoring all the looks she was getting.

Beka looked at Harper as he took a sip of sparky. "So now you're all worried about me because of my slip of tongue?"

She nodded. "Harper, it's just, I want you to know that you're not alone in this. I mean, Trance, Dylan, Rommie, Rev, hell even Tyr are behind you on this, and there isn't a chance that were going to let _anything_ happen without one hell of a fight."

Harper looked a little uncomfortable, and if she wasn't mistaken-a little misty eyed. "I know Beka. You don't have to worry-" She cut him off. "But most of all, you have me. And you always will." She smiled and took a sip of water. Neither of them said anything for a while, their emotions were running too high.

"Thanks, Beka. Really."

She nodded, and said. "So, now that all the mushy stuff is over do you wanna come help me with the Maru? The environmental systems have been giving me a hard time lately."

He nodded, and they got up and headed that way. Beka smiled as he passed her. Knowing that one way or another they were going to find a cure, they were going to save him.

The End. 


End file.
